Man has used containers for storing and dispensing liquids for millennia. However, containers still have their problems. For example, full cups of soda and hot coffee sold in fast food restaurants being consumed in moving cars have caused many spilling accidents. Although these cups may be equipped with sealing lids with small mouth openings, spilling mishaps are still very common. Serious burns or a moving car accident may result from a very hot coffee spill. Therefore, there is a need for an improved low cost disposable cup and container, which ideally does not spill while drinking and, realistically is spill-resistant.
When pouring liquid from a container, the same volume of air should enter the container to replace the liquid being poured out. A phenomenon referred to as “glugging” occurs when the liquid is poured more quickly from the container than air can enter the container. Glugging occurs when too much liquid tries to flow out of the container and there is not enough room available in the outflow passageway for air to enter into the container to replace the volume of the out-flowing liquid. When this happens, a partial vacuum is created inside the container that momentarily stops liquid from flowing out. Once the liquid flow stops, air starts to enter the container and when the incoming air has eliminated the partial vacuum, the liquid can resume its out flow. This intermittent and repeated liquid flowing and stopping is referred to as “glugging” and makes the pouring unstable, undesirable and less smooth. Glugging is also a major cause of spills. Therefore, there is also a need for a container, which reduces the glugging effect.
On the market, some container designs have a hollow handle molded near the mouth opening of the container. An air vent passageway is provided between the mouth opening and the hollow handle so that a separate air vent is provided. The air from the mouth opening travels down the vent passageway, through the hollow handle, and into the container to help reduce glugging. However, a full container may spill easily when tilted slightly, a further improved container, which better eliminates spilling and glugging and improves the smoothness of the liquid flow is needed.
This inventor has developed a number of spill-resistant containers; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,098,850; 6,374,541; 6,460,741; and 6,758,375; using a hydrostatic principle in achieving the spill-resistant feature. The present invention simplifies the design and allows a scoop-like-separator to be made as either an integral part of the container or as separate parts of the container easily assembled such as container covers.